The currently existing related art involves several apparatuses and methods for transporting camera equipment. Spielberg et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0075070) discloses a switcher track apparatus comprising four switch units having precisely supported turntables at the intersections of the rails of two tracks, with switch sections of the track on the turntables movable into alternate switching positions in alignment with the two tracks and with magnet assemblies for establishing and releasably holding precise alignment. The wheel assemblies are supported on carriers of a V-shaped cross-sectional shape. Losmandy (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0064386) discloses an apparatus and a method for moving and positioning a camera mounted on a dolly, comprising two flexible, but semi-rigid, rails which are positioned parallel to one another such that a dolly with wheels can be placed on, and guided by, the flexible semi-rigid rails.
In addition, Nilsen (U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,867) discloses a device for lifting and repositioning a track used in television and motion picture industries on which a camera dolly or crane is located. The camera dolly includes bogie wheels mounted on a V-shaped bracket. Brown et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,978) discloses a lightweight, remote-controlled, self-propelled equipment support and transport system, wherein the equipment support is mounted in an angular isolation relative to the drive car by a system of damped pivots about pitch and yaw axes. Chapman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,108) discloses a camera dolly which has a track wheel system, including a kingpin pivotally supported on a dolly chassis. Chapman (U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,117) discloses a track wheel system for a camera dolly, wherein a kingpin is pivotably attached to the dolly chassis and an axle is attached to the kingpin. A bushing is placed on a first section of the axle, a wheel bearing is attached to the bushing, and a first track wheel is attached to the wheel bearing.
Zelli (U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,469) discloses a rail-supported carriage, adapted to be moved along a pair of rails spaced from one another at a predetermined distance which includes at least three wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including a frame. A connecting mechanism connects the oppositely disposed wheel assemblies and includes a compensating arrangement mounted on each wheel assembly for compensating any variation in distance between oppositely disposed wheel assemblies due to any curvature in the rails, each compensating arrangement includes a platform and a pin passing through the platform, and wherein the platform is movable with respect to the frame. Muller et al. (PCT Application Publication No. WO 96/09490) discloses a movable carriage which comprises a support for a camera, the carriage having a frame that is fitted with wheels and rollers. The support is provided with an arm comprising two elements which are mounted telescopically, the lower end of the arm being fixed to the frame to pivot about a vertical axis and oscillate with respect to a horizontal axis, the upper end of the arm carrying the platen to fix the camera which is attached to the upper extremity via a horizontal articulation axis, and the frame comprising, at right angles to the arm, a recess such that the arm can be lowered into the recess to bring the platen substantially to ground level.
Traver (U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,475) discloses a camera supporting chassis having attached clamp wheel assemblies. The clamp wheel assemblies secure opposing supports. A camera is attached to the chassis. A brake secures the chassis. The wheel clamp assemblies also permit roller-movement of the chassis along the supports, thereby allowing panning camera shots with the camera attached to the chassis.
Liebherr et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,546) discloses an undercarriage for a rotary-tower crane, comprising pivotally mounted wheel bogies connected to supporting members which, in turn, are connected to, and adapted to cooperate with, each corner of the undercarriage. While each of the wheel bogies is pivotally mounted to each of the supporting members, only two of the supporting members are pivotally connected to the carriage, the other two being rigidly connected with such an arrangement. The wheel bogies align themselves with the curved rails of the tracks.
Howell et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,484) discloses a camera system having a wheeled rail car with front and back running gear being connected to a chassis, the chassis comprising a movable panning head covered by an enclosure. The panning head has a motion picture camera mounted thereon. The rail car is self-propelled. The head rotates up and down and pans 360 degrees. The car is movably installed on a track system, the track system comprising rails connected together via ties. Each rail has a power strip supplying electrical energy to the car through a set of wipers. An electrical control system is positioned remotely from the tracks and provides control for propulsion and positioning of the panning head as well as of the camera. A television monitor receives a signal from the camera, thereby allowing the operator to have visual indication of the scene viewed by the camera. The entire system may be stationary or be mounted on an engine driven vehicle with the operator controlling the system from within the vehicle.
Walton et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,957) discloses a self-propelled camera dolly having a camera support unit, a drive unit, and a flexible coupling placed between the camera support unit and the drive unit. The camera support unit includes wheels and a camera. The drive unit can move in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The flexible coupling may include three pivots, wherein two of these pivots may be oriented in the vertical and the other in the horizontal direction to aid the movement of the drive unit.
Walton et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,641) discloses a self-propelled camera dolly having a camera support unit, a drive unit, and a flexible coupling placed between the camera support unit and the drive unit. The drive unit includes at least one drive roller, the guide rollers positioned adjacent to the at least one roller. The guide rollers are biased against the first side and the second side of the center rail. The wheels on the two outer rails are positioned on the two outer rails. The camera support unit is positioned on the two outer rails. The camera support unit is moved along the track to define information of the motion. This information is stored. A scene is shot by operating the camera while moving the camera support unit along the track as a function of the stored information.
Walton et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,330) discloses a camera positioning system comprising a track having two parallel outer rails and a center rail, a self-propelled camera positioning device, the device comprising a chassis configured to support a camera, wheels coupled to the chassis for riding on the outer rails of the track, and a drive unit for propelling the chassis along the track, the drive unit comprising at least one roller coupled to the chassis for engaging the center rail of the track, and a motor for rotating the at least one roller against the center rail, thereby positioning the chassis along the track, and logic for controlling the drive unit.
Brown et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,966 (Jul. 28, 1998) discloses a light weight, remote-controlled, self-propelled equipment support and transport system that is stabilized against unwanted angular deviation in each of three axes and is adapted for motion at high speed along a simple tubular monorail. The equipment support is mounted in damped pivots about pitch and yaw axes. The drive car includes a steering adjustment adapted to counteract slight variations in wheel alignment that may tend to drive the transport off-level while in motion.
Common problems experienced in the related art are that the wheels do not fully pivot nor articulate, that the wheels do not fully engage the tracks throughout the travel, that a tendency exists for the wheels to separate from the tracks, that undue friction, vibration, and noise are present, whereby filming is undermined, that the scope of use for various dollies or cranes is limited, that the scope of use with different tracks is limited, and the like. FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a plurality of wheels 110 that are mounted to a V-shaped bracket 120 of a camera transport apparatus 100, wherein pivoting is limited and no articulation is provided, in accordance with the prior art. FIG. 3 is a front view of a plurality of wheels 110 that are mounted to a V-shaped bracket 120 of a camera transport apparatus 100, wherein pivoting is limited and no articulation is provided, and wherein the wheels 110 have a tendency to separate from a track T during travel (d>0), in accordance with the prior art. Thus, a long-felt need is seen to exist for an apparatus and a method which provide greater flexibility of use under a wider range of filming conditions.